Gunman Fires Shotgun Blasts in Anaheim Neighborhood; Blasts 5 Hurt

Five people were injured Sunday, none seriously, when a gunman fired two shotgun blasts in a busy neighborhood, scattering a crowd of people who had gathered for an outdoor lunch, police and witnesses said.

The most seriously hurt was Profilio Torres, 24, who was hit near his right eye by a small pellet, which authorities described as birdshot. Torres staggered from the scene near Santa Ana Boulevard and Melrose Street to the Anaheim Fire Department headquarters about a block away. Firefighters treated his wound before taking him to UCI Medical Center in Orange.

“He was lucky the shell didn’t hit him in the eye,” said Fire Capt. Steve Munoz. “We were surprised none of the children in the area were seriously hurt.”

Witnesses said three men in a red or burgundy car, possibly a Chevrolet, stopped in front of an apartment complex at 420 Melrose St. about 11:30 a.m. One man got out and walked toward the brown building. He pulled a 12-gauge shotgun out from under his sweater and fired two rounds, said Sgt. Mike Webb of the Anaheim Police Department.

Four other unidentified men were hit by the pellets, including one man who had 19 wounds across his back, Munoz said. All four had walked to the fire station for treatment.

Police suspect that the shooting might be related to drug activity. Webb said that no arrests have been made.